Best Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving in Washington, DC (2026)

Thanksgiving in DC can be a cozy dinner in an old inn, a table of dishes passed around a Shaw dining room, or a hotel brunch that turns the whole afternoon into an occasion. The right call depends on what you want the day to feel like, how much you want to spend, and whether everyone at the table actually wants turkey.

If you want the short answer: Unconventional Diner for a relaxed meal where the table can order differently, Nina May for a family-style dinner, and Blue Duck Tavern for a splurge. The Willard and the Hay-Adams bring the grand-hotel setting. And there's plenty of good food well under hotel-buffet money, from complete holiday menus around $50 to restaurants where you can simply order a turkey plate.

This guide covers dine-in options inside Washington, DC. Every restaurant below has posted a Thanksgiving offering for this year. If you'd rather eat at home, our DC Thanksgiving takeout and catering guide covers that.

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026. Last updated October 2026. Holiday menus and availability can change, so book early.

Prices are per adult unless a dish is labeled as an entree. Drinks, tax, tips, service charges and extras are additional unless stated. A turkey entree is not the same thing as a complete holiday menu, so don't compare the two as if the inclusions matched.

These are the restaurants where Thanksgiving doesn't have to be a production. Some run a full holiday menu at a friendly price; others keep the regular menu open and add a turkey plate, so one person can have the classic dinner while someone else orders a burger or a bowl of pasta.

These are the places to go when the meal itself is the event: a shared menu that keeps the dishes coming, a dining room with real history, or a feast with carving stations that doesn't cost grand-hotel money.

Restaurant Thanksgivings that feel like an evening out, from a turkey plate alongside steak and stone crab to the two $185 menus that anchor the top of the list.

The big-ticket Thanksgivings. Expect carving stations, seafood, a dessert room, and a bill that lands well over $200 a head once charges are added. Worth it when you want the whole afternoon to feel like an occasion.

A few DC restaurants that have served Thanksgiving in past years haven't posted this year's menu, hours, or prices as of our last update. We'll add them above once the details are confirmed. Until then, check directly with the restaurant rather than assuming last year's offer stands.

• Old Ebbitt Grill (Downtown) has long been one of the city's busiest Thanksgiving dining rooms. Its holiday page still carries an older menu file; 2026 pricing not yet posted.
• 1789 (Georgetown) usually runs a classic three-course Thanksgiving in its Federal-era townhouse. No 2026 holiday menu posted yet.
• Le Diplomate (14th Street) has in past years kept its regular menu plus a holiday special. 2026 plans not yet announced.
• The Hamilton (Downtown) has served Thanksgiving dinner in previous years. No 2026 details yet.
• Succotash Prime (Penn Quarter) is a frequent local recommendation for a Southern-leaning holiday meal. No dated 2026 Thanksgiving menu for the DC location at our last check.
• Fairmont Washington, DC and Degrees Bistro (both Georgetown) have November 26, 2026 events listed, but pricing wasn't published when we checked.

Pick the format first. A fixed-price dinner, a family-style menu, and a buffet make for different afternoons. Rosselli, RPM Italian, Joe's, and Unconventional Diner let the table order differently. Nina May is built for sharing. The Willard and Top of the Hay are built for a full buffet afternoon.

Compare the total, not the headline. Service charges change the math. Unconventional Diner adds 20%, Blue Duck Tavern adds 20% gratuity plus 10% tax, and the Willard adds a 25% service charge plus tax. Wherever a charge is posted we've shown the before-tax total in the entry. Read the checkout screen before you confirm.

Match the seating to the day you want. Morrison-Clark ends at 5 p.m., the Willard has set brunch seatings, and The Pembroke doesn't start until 4 p.m. If your first-choice time is gone, an earlier lunch or later dinner often opens things up.

Book for the actual party, children included. Age cutoffs vary: CUT is 10 and under, Blue Duck is under 12, and several others are 12 and under. Give the restaurant the kids' ages and mention highchairs or access needs when you book.

Settle dietary needs before you commit. Holiday menus are less flexible than the regular dinner menu. For vegan meals, allergies, or no-pork tables, ask about the whole meal before paying for a prepaid booking.

Staying downtown? Start with Rosselli, Opaline, Joe's, Equinox, Barbouzard, the Willard, or Top of the Hay. Around Dupont Circle, look at Tabard Inn, Teddy, and The Pembroke. Georgetown has the waterfront Founding Farmers, CUT, Seasons, and Bourbon Steak. Unconventional Diner, Nina May, Morrison-Clark, RPM Italian, and Farmers & Distillers cluster around Shaw and Mount Vernon Square.